Inconvenient truth about Monument Mountain Regional High School

To the editor:

I recently saw someone note that U.S. News & World Report had placed Monument Mountain Regional High School (MMRHS) as the third best high school in Berkshire County and reported that 42 percent of the students took an AP course. That listing is not as complimentary as one would think. MMRHS was placed as the 90th best high school in Massachusetts and 2,270th best in the country.

Just compare it to Mt. Greylock Regional High School (MGRHS), which is rated much higher.

It is all about context. Both school districts are about the same size, and the Williamstown population is modestly larger than that of Great Barrington.

MGRHS has better achievements on SAT scores and other educational parameters recorded by DESE.

It is noteworthy that the cost to taxpayers in Williamstown is also significantly less. Williamstown students are also able to attend a regional vocational high school.

The educational achievements of MGRHS are significantly better, as shown in the state and national rankings. They are mindful of budgetary constraints.

There are several facts that need to be outlined regarding the high schools that exist.

1. The population of Berkshire County is decreasing, as are two other counties in the Commonwealth, but the highest rate of depopulation is Berkshire County. Deaths outpace births by more than two times.
2. Great Barrington’s average single-family tax bill is the highest of any town west of the Connecticut River, which is not something to be proud of in the big picture.
3. Total outstanding long-term debt in Great Barrington is the highest compared to any comparable town.
4. Total outstanding long-term debt per capita in Great Barrington is equally high.
5. The enrollment of Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD) has been decreasing disproportionately for years.
6. The enrollment of MMRHS has been decreasing significantly, and more so than the other schools in Berkshire County, yet staffing has not been adjusted downward.
7. Enrollment in 2024-25 for MMRHS was only 200 students from Great Barrington, 40 students from Stockbridge, and 25 students from West Stockbridge. The remaining students come from other towns (117 choice-in and 49 tuition-in). Enrollment is decreasing in fiscal year 2026.
8. BHRSD received $ 1.72 million for the 255 students who were choice-in. That translates into $6,732 per student. That is not enough to cover the cost of having these students, period.
9. Most school districts limit how many students are allowed into the school choice-in. The state average is 1.9 percent, while for BHRSD it is 22.17 percent. There is a good reason for this policy.
10. Choice-in is not a money-making option and costs the town dearly, despite what the School Board claims. BHRSD is not being truthful.

The decreasing high school enrollment has gone from 678 students in 2000 to 431 students in 2025. Note that only 265 students came from Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge this year.

The FTE in staffing has been increasing throughout the years as the number of students has decreased. Class size has decreased, and the cost to the district and town has become unsustainable.

The cost of the new high school is just an estimate. The numbers being quoted are a best guess and probably bear no relation to reality. Just ask anyone who has built a new building in the post-COVID era. The Trump administration is gutting funding to schools, and it is not realistic to expect the state to pick up the tab. The number will increase as the time to start building approaches.

The cost to the three towns will be in excess of $90 million, and the final number will not be known until everything goes out to bid. The numbers quoted are only a guess. The lack of infrastructure maintenance in Great Barrington is already haunting us. Town buildings, roadways, and bridges have been neglected and are lacking in updates. Core functions of the town have not been preserved.

Underlying issues:

The Selectboard and Finance Committee have shown for the past decade that they are incapable of managing and reigning in the cost of BHRSD.

The School Board has consistently ignored that their staffing and financial decisions are not in line with the decreasing enrollment in the high school, school district, and county.

This is a terrible time for any capital project as the cost of borrowing money has increased, and with Trump wrecking the economy, the cost of everything is increasing.

Voter apathy has led to minority rule as only 4.5 percent of voters participated in this year’s Town Meeting. Single-issue voters are worsening the financial well-being of Great Barrington.

Vote “No” on the proposition to fund the over-sized, over-staffed, and ego-centric building that we cannot afford. The town budget has been pared and stripped to cater to the BHRSD administration.

It is time now for the taxpayers to inform those pushing for this project that you cannot always have what you want, but you should focus on what you can afford. The cardinal rule in towns with regional school districts is that their financial requests have to be tempered with what the town can afford. This has not occurred in Great Barrington for the past decade(s). The time has come to change that problem.

Jan Wojcik
Great Barrington

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